Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
On Wednesday, after four days in the swamps, Ben parked his Jeep at the curb of his warehouse and hauled his weary carcass out. His sweaty, filthy, rain-sodden clothes dragged at him.
His spirits felt as if they were trailing behind him on the ground. He was a fucking mess.
How could he be so damned angry with Anne and yet miss her so damned much? Every time he thought about that night at the Shadowlands, his head pounded with pain, like the inside of an artillery shelling.
He couldn’t forget how her hand had cupped the little shit’s chin. How Joey had knelt at her feet, the scrawny bastard, while she looked at him. And looked at him.
Ben’s back teeth ground together with an ugly sound. If he hadn’t shown up, would they still be there in that position?
Jesus fuck. Even after seeing that, he still wanted her. His idiot heart yearned. Made him want to enlist again, just to get out of the country. To keep from showing up at her doorstep some night.
“C’mon, buddy.”
Bronx jumped out, clearing the way so Ben could snag his pack.
He’d just got the warehouse door open when a voice came from behind him.
“Where’ve you been?”
Ben spun. Even as he started to drop his pack and charge, he recognized Anne’s brother, Travis. Not a mugger.
Travis had jumped back, empty palms facing out. “Sorry, guy. I thought you’d seen me.”
Ben pushed air through his teeth. “S’okay.
I’m tired, and you took me by surprise.” Tired wasn’t the word for it.
After the clusterfuck, he’d headed back to the Everglades—although abandoning the field hadn’t helped worth shit.
He’d still reached for Anne every time he turned over at night.
Still noted things to share with her at dinner.
Only now there was no one in his bed. No leisurely evening chats.
Somewhere along the line, his mission had become as fucked up as a soup sandwich.
And he needed fluids before he dealt with the brother.
“C’mon.” Leaving the door open behind him, he went in and up the stairs. After guzzling half a bottle of cold water, he felt his brain click on.
Travis was pacing back and forth, all tensed up.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Ben asked. Nothing came to mind except disaster.
“It’s Anne.”
Ben got in his face and barely kept from hauling him up by the shirtfront. “What about her? Is she all right?”
Travis’s expression tightened. “She’s not been here?”
“No. I haven’t seen her since Saturday night.”
“Saturday. Jesus, where could she be?”
Ben glanced at the clock. Late afternoon. “Probably headed in to work.”
“You really haven’t seen her, have you? Saturday’s when she got into it with our uncles and Dad. And when she quit the agency.”
Ben’s hand stopped halfway to his mouth. Quit? On Saturday, Anne had planned to attend her father’s birthday dinner. She hadn’t worked that day.
Then again, a family event meant the uncles and asshole cousin had probably been there. “Robert gave her grief?”
“Worse than that. Seems he talked Uncle Russell into giving him Anne’s leader slot and removing her from the team. She tried to maintain her cool at the party, but then our fucking father said he was glad she was off the team. He didn’t want his girl being in danger.”
Jesus, that’d be akin to tossing a match into a gas tank. “She blew?”
“Oh, fuck yes.” Looking exhausted, Travis scrubbed his face with his hand. “She’s not picking up her phone. She’s not been home.”
“Maybe she’s home and not answering the doorbell?”
“Her car’s gone.”
“Hell.” Like a slow-building avalanche, his worry grew, burying everything before it. Had she gone through that crap right before coming to the Shadowlands? Anne loved her father. Loved her job. The bastards had gutted her.
And then he’d taken a good long swipe at her himself. Yeah, maybe she’d chosen the little shit and didn’t want a non-slave, but Ben hadn’t needed to be an asshole about it.
“I’m not liking the look on your face,” Travis said quietly. “What do you know that I don’t? Do you know where—”
“I saw her after your supper.” Worry clawed at him. “Not since. We’re not together anymore.”
“You…” Travis’s face darkened with anger. “What’d you do? After what she’d been through, you—”
“I didn’t know. And she broke up with me, okay?” She hadn’t said anything about her job. Her family. He hadn’t given her a chance. Fuck.
Travis’s glare slowly died. “Sorry. She’s my little sister, you know?”
Ben could sympathize. The guy was as protective as Ben—and Anne wouldn’t have been an easy little sister to shield. Still wasn’t. “I have two younger sisters. I get you.”
Travis’s lips twisted into wry acknowledgment. “I don’t suppose you have any idea where she might’ve gone?”
Ben shook his head. “You still fill in at the bail bond agency. Can’t you track her down?”
“Yeah, well, she knows exactly how to prevent someone from doing that. Even worse, with her gone, my uncles don’t have anyone, including me, who can do more than a standard trace. She’s the one with the talent.”
“Dumb fucks, pushing her into quitting.”
“They’re starting to figure that out.” Travis pulled out his wallet and set a business card on the counter.
“If you can think of where she might be, no matter how unlikely, I’d appreciate a call.
” A muscle in his cheek jumped. “When she was little, she’d hide in her room when she was hurt, but she’s not home. Or anywhere. She’s never just…left.”
Ben straightened, feeling the need to go search for her himself. Only she wasn’t his problem now, was she? They weren’t together. At all. She’d dumped him for the little shit.
Travis was still waiting and Ben scowled. Yeah, she’d kicked him to the curb, but not until after he’d said he couldn’t take the heat. Total goatfuck. And she’d lost her job and fought with her dad.
He sighed. No one knew better than him how all her toughness sheltered a frighteningly tender heart. Dammit, Anne, dammit. Where are you?
“I’ll call you if I figure something out.” Ben stuck his hand out. “If you’ll promise to let me know if you find her first.”
Travis took his hand. “You’re going to hunt, too?”
“Fuck, yeah.”